Palestinian FM urges sanctions on Israel if it starts ‘to annex’ parts of occupied West Bank

The Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki on Monday called for sanctions on Israel if it starts to annex parts of the occupied West Bank, AFP reported.

The minister was talking to reporters in Poland after a US envoy’s comments that Israel had the right to annex at least some of the territory captured in 1967.

US ambassador to Israel David Friedman said in a New York Times interview published on Saturday: “Under certain circumstances, I think Israel has the right to retain some, but unlikely all, of the West Bank.”

“Friedman with his statement is trying to help [Israeli PM Benjamin] Netanyahu to have the courage to take such a decision” to annex, said Maliki. The minister added that international sanctions should be imposed if Israel resorts to annexation.